There’s a very disturbing reality to being part of a
minority, not just transgender but any group that has been oppressed throughout
the course of history, there will be words designed to hurt you, belittle you
and further that oppression.
It’s something that goes back as far as human history, as long as there has been more than one group words will be used to degrade others, especially to those not in power. Every single one of you is aware of these kinds of situations, a lot of you will be witness to it, some of you will be victims to it, and sadly some of you will be some of the people who have taken part in that oppression.
Whether its women being called bitches, people of colour being
called niggers, homosexuals being called faggots or transgender people being
called trannies it doesn’t matter, it’s all oppression and hate speech and it
all has to stop.
Thankfully, for the most part at least, the civilised world
will recognise that a lot of these phrases and more are wrong. Society as a whole has tried to destroy
racist language, made it punishable to use those words. People are moving forward with the erasure of
homophobic language suck as dyke or fairy.
Most of the world is opening their eyes that such things are wrong and
calling in to account those who say them.
However, there’s one area where this kind of oppressive language
seems to be so much more prevalent, where people not only openly use these foul
insults, but get the support of the general public when those offended call
them out.
Now I know what some of you are going to be thinking, ‘here’s
another trans person saying that they’ve got it worse, that they’re being oppressed
when there’s so many other people being targeted for so many other things’. You’re right, to a certain extent. I’m calling out the overt use of transphobic
language because as a trans person I’m subject to it, not only in my personal
life but in the reports I see in the media or stories my friends tell me. I’m not by any means saying that the problem
exists only for the trans community, it’s just the community I can speak the
best about due to first-hand experience.
The level of oppression you suffer isn’t a competition, I’m not going to say trans people have it the worst. All I’m saying is that it’s pretty bad for us. At the time of the writing of this article the rate of transgender murder stands at one death every 29 hours, and 47% of trans people attempting suicide, and I feel that the open use of transphobic slurs is a major contributing factor to this culture of murder and suicide.
Something that I found absolutely shocking when I came out
was the amount of people who had no idea what words were and weren’t acceptable
to use when talking to or about trans people.
I had friends, very open minded left wing friends, who didn’t know that
tranny was a slur word.
I think that a lot of the problem comes from the fact that
people in places of influence freely use words that should never be used
in reference to a trans person without any repercussions or punishment. I’m talking about how celebrities make
comments about ‘trannies’ and ‘she-male’ for cheap laughs. I’m talking about how we’re always portrayed
as overtly masculine men in cocktail dresses and big wigs. I’m talking about how we’re shown to be sex
workers, killers or murder victims.
The media and those who work in it are given free rein to
put the transgender community in the poorest light possible, that whenever they’re
challenged on it we’re the ones being unreasonable. Whenever a trans person calls out on this
kind of inequality we’re at best ‘trolls’ or ‘haters’ trying to cause trouble, or
worse we’re ‘freaks’ and ‘mentally disturbed men’ trying to cause harm.
You don’t need to look far to see those kinds of
reactions. There are anti-transgender
bathroom bills being lobbied based on the accusation that transgender women
will attempt to sexually assault women if we are allowed into female rest
rooms, despite evidence to the contrary.
If anything it’s infinitely more dangerous for trans women to be forced
into male only spaces as that’s how we get assaulted and murdered.
When trans people want positive representation it’s for
attention or fame. When someone famous
transitions they get told that they’re doing it to further their career or for
money. Our whole identities and state of
mind are called into question and insulted.
I’ve seen news articles call us ‘freaks’, ‘delusional’, ‘self-mutilators’. I’ve seen news reporters laugh and tell
transphobic jokes whilst ‘Dude Looks Like a Lady’ plays in the background. And once again every time it’s complained
about we’re being ‘too sensitive’ or ‘oppressive’.
People site that they
have a freedom of speech, which they should be free to express their own
opinions, and they’re right, they totally do have that right. But there is a massive difference between
free speech and hate speech. When your
opinion is that people of a certain minority should have their rights taken away,
should be locked into institutions or put to death that’s not free speech, that’s
hatred and oppression and it needs to be stopped.
That’s the problem though in a nut shell, nowhere near
enough people are saying that these things are problems. The trans community and their allies call
bullshit on these things but because that voice is too small we’re vilified. The majority control the perceptions of
others. They can spin situations to
their liking and manipulate the views of those on the outside. Those people calling us trannies or shemales
or shims are the majority. They’re the
ones telling the world that it’s okay to do so.
So many people will look at this and say ‘but it’s not my
problem’ or ‘I’m fighting another fight at the minute’, I’ve even once been
told that we need to fight for equal rights ‘one group at a time’. The problem with that though is that if people
don’t speak out about inequality, or think that one cause is more important
than another nothing is ever going to change.
Minorities are small, those who oppress us are the bigger
group, so of course we can’t beat them if we’re trying to do it on our
own. We need to work together to fight
this. Together those minorities make a
bigger majority than those who have power over us. Don’t let those who oppress us tell you what’s
right and what’s wrong. If a minority
group is saying that something is offensive or oppressive then listen to them,
add your voice to theirs.
Standing by someone saying that it’s okay to insult and disrespect trans people because they have political power, or you’re a fan of theirs, or because they support the LGBT community is allowing hatred and oppression. If you see it and you don’t speak out then you’re no better than those who oppress us. If anything you’re worse because at least they’re standing for something, even if it is wrong.
If I see inequality or hate I speak out against it. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s my fight or
not. I won’t let racism go unchallenged
just because I’m white. I’m not going to
let ageism go unchallenged because I’m young.
I’m not going to let ableism to unchallenged because I’m able
bodied. We’re all human beings, no
matter what differences set us aside. We
need to help and support each other even if we don’t think it’s our fight
because one day you might be fighting your own battle and be in need of the
support of others.
Please, please I beg you stop the use of transphobic slurs. Challenge those you see do it, and if you’ve done it in the past stop now. You may not understand transgender people, you may not even approve of us, but please acknowledge the basic concept that we’re human beings. We have feelings, we feel pain and those actions hurt us.
47% attempt suicide. One
murder every 29 hours. Those numbers
should scare you. They should make you
feel ashamed. Now think too that trans
people only make up less than 1% of the worlds’ population and death that rate
should horrify you.
Casual transphobia adds to those figures. It contributes to the murder and suicide
rate. It’s part of the reason the life
expectancy of trans people in their mid-thirties. Our lives are in danger every day, every time
we step out of our door. Help us. Please.
Stand up with us and say enough is enough. It doesn’t matter who you are, black, white, straight,
gay, rich, poor, transphobia is never right and never excusable. Your words hurt, your words kill. Enough is enough.
Amy.
xx
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